Wax Bean Salad With Cucumber, Blackberries & Mint

By ltrodrigu

PURE LUXURY: This fresh, light salad gets a sneaky hit of sumptuousness from an aioli dressing.


Chef: Joseph Lenn

His Restaurant: The Barn at Blackberry Farm, Walland, Tenn.

What He's Known For: Creating dishes with poetic simplicity in the Smoky Mountain foothills. Locavorism with Southern charm.

Ingredients

• Salt
• 1/2 medium cucumber, peeled and roughly chopped, plus 2 medium cucumbers, thinly sliced crosswise
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/2 tablespoon lime juice
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 pound wax beans (yellow, green and/or purple)
• 1 cup mint leaves, roughly torn
• 2 cups blackberries

Details

Adapted from online.wsj.com

Preparation

Step 1

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, make cucumber aioli dressing: Place chopped cucumber in a food processor and purée until smooth, about 1 minute. Add yolks, lime juice and a pinch of salt to cucumber purée. With motor running, add oil in a slow, steady stream until sauce is emulsified. Season with salt and store in refrigerator until needed.

Add beans to pot and cook until al dente, 2-3 minutes. Transfer beans to an ice water bath to stop cooking. Drain beans and season with salt.

In a mixing bowl, toss blanched beans, cucumber slices and mint with enough dressing to lightly coat. Season with salt. Divide salad among four plates and garnish with blackberries. Serve immediately.